Some of the many interesting things that are a part of the medical collection here at the La Crosse County Historical Society are a collection of Optometrist tools that were donated by Dr. Charles Vaslow.

Dr. Vaslow was a man who helped the community on multiple occasions and his deeds were even recognized in the La Crosse Tribune on multiple occasions, once in 1955 for performing eye exams on school children and again in 1977 as being a vital contributor to making the La Crosse area better. He practiced his business out of a shop located at 423 Jay Street that has since been torn down.

One item that was donated is a black handled ophthalmoscope that is used to examine the retina and other parts of the eye and can be used to detect symptoms of numerous eye diseases including glaucoma and even help predict strokes in cases of arterial hypertension. This tool was commonly used during routine eye exams and could even be used in regular doctor exams as part of a whole body check up.